New Vail Resorts CEO Rob Katz Delivers First Earnings Report

According to Katz, guest satisfaction scores at the company’s properties were “strong and consistent” during the 2024-2025 North American ski season, although he mentioned one notable exception: Park City Mountain, Utah.

There, the widely publicized ski patrol strike during the holidays drew national media attention and created a public relations debacle for the company, with visitors complaining of long lift lines and minimal terrain offerings.

“We need a more consistent guest and employee experience throughout the season and across all of our resorts,” Katz said during a recent conference call with investors about the third quarter, Colorado Public Radio reports. “The Park City experience was obviously unacceptable.”

Epic Pass product sales for next winter, meanwhile, have seen an approximate 1% dip year-over-year. Katz, in the report, mentioned “macro-economic volatility that occurred throughout the spring selling period” regarding the sales decline but noted that “it is currently unknown what, if any, impact that had on early pass decision making.”

Still, Epic Pass sales jumped approximately 2% in sales dollars due to a 7% price hike over the previous season’s offerings. “The majority of our pass selling season is ahead of us, and we believe the full-year pass unit and sales dollar trends will be relatively stable with the spring results,” Katz added.

Outside the U.S., Epic Australia Pass sales increased by approximately 20% in units and approximately 8% in sales dollars relative to the prior year. Katz attributed that success to the Epic Australia 4-Day Pass, a hit amongst Australian skiers and snowboarders who visit the mountains less frequently.

Katz previously served as CEO of Vail Resorts from 2006 to 2021.